Former Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington has come out fighting after stories today claim her marriage broke down because her husband wasn’t sure why he was with her.
In an interview with the Radio Times, she said of her then-blossoming relationship with her ex, fellow swimmer and personal trainer Harry Needs: “He was younger than me.
“He saw Beijing [the 2008 Olympics where Becky won two gold medals] and really idolised me,” the swimmer told the Radio Times.
“We were dating for a long time and Harry had to step back and say, ‘I have to figure out whether I like you or whether I like you because of everything you’ve achieved’.”
She added: “He wanted to make sure he was with me for the right reasons.”
Some publications have spun these quotes to suggest this is why the couple, who married in 2014, split 18 months later.
And, understandably, Rebecca has hit out. She said: “Yet again, the newspapers twist your words. Please don’t believe everything you read.
“Definitely not the reason why our marriage didn’t work. It was at the very start of dating he had to figure things out.”
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Rebecca and Harry started dating in 2011 and, though she admitted shortly afterwards that marriage wasn’t imminent (“If I ever mention marriage to him, he’s like, ‘I’m only a baby!'”), the pair did eventually tie the knot in a ceremony in Staffordshire.
The relationship broke down some 18 months later.
“It’s after much thought and sadness that we confirm our separation,” they said in a joint statement. “It’s on amicable terms and we still remain close friends.
“We move forward with respect for one another, and our focus and commitment is on parenting our gorgeous daughter Summer.”
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Rebecca has said that she’s in no rush to meet a new partner, and she’s especially reluctant to go down the online-dating route.
“I can’t do that,” she explained. “Because every guy’s going to go, ‘I just want to go on a date so I can say I’ve been with Becky Adlington.”
The mum-of-one hung up her swimsuit in 2013 at the age of 23, and, later that year, she finished sixth in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Last month it was revealed that she’ll be taking part in the forthcoming series of Celebrity Masterchef on BBC One.
We can’t wait to see her in action in the kitchen!